Trading activity had slowed down by the end of last week in the CIS export market for steel slab, with mills closing their sales for August shipment and now evaluating the situation, Fastmarkets heard on Monday June 22.A sale of Ukraine-origin slab was heard to Turkey in mid-June at $385 per tonne cfr, equivalent to $370-375 per tonne fob Black Sea.And a Russian supplier sold a large cargo of slab...Read More
The recent decline in European ferro-silicon spot prices, which had been weakening in line with demand due to a slump in steel production over the course of several weeks, has paused; but the stabilization might be brief due to the approaching seasonal slowdown in July and August and an increase in lower-priced export offers into the EU.Thus, the bias in the market on prices is pointing down for t...Read More
The dramatic consequences of the Covid-19-related lockdowns across Europe, and the corresponding shutdowns of industrial activities, have resulted in an enormous disruption to the supply chains across all sectors of the steel industry.While the largest of these sectors, the construction industry, has by no means escaped the effects of the pandemic, sources believed that it could see a return of de...Read More
Liberty Steel Group UK, part of the GFG Alliance, hopes to double production at its Rotherham site to more than 1 million tonnes per year after altering its product mix to produce rebar while reducing its carbon emissions, the company said on Monday June 22.It has upgraded its Thrybergh Bar Mill in Rotherdam to produce rebar from September onward. This follows a series of successful trials of its...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Friday June 19 that are worth another look.Pig iron production at Tata Steel IJmuiden in the Netherlands was stopped on June 19, while the plant's workers went on a 24-hour strike, sources told Fastmarkets.The London Metal Exchange has fined warehouse operator Istim ?30,000 ($37,120) for breaching clauses of its warehouse agreement, the e...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday June 22 that are worth another look.The dramatic consequences of the Covid-19-related lockdowns across Europe, and the corresponding shutdowns of industrial activities, have resulted in an enormous disruption to the supply chains across all sectors of the steel industry.Chilean state-run copper producer Codelco has decided to halt a...Read More
The recent decline in European ferro-silicon spot prices, which had been weakening in line with demand due to a slump in steel production over the course of several weeks, has paused; but the stabilization might be brief due to the approaching seasonal slowdown in July and August and an increase in lower-priced export offers into the EU.Thus, the bias in the market on prices is pointing down for t...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil fell further in Northern Europe in the week to Friday June 19 due to low market demand.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, was ?,?390.00 ($435.86) per tonne on Friday, down by ?,?6.25 per tonne week on week and down by ?,?19.84 per tonne month on month.The region's integrated mills have been offering HRC at ?,?400-410 p...Read More
The three-month price of copper on the London Metal Exchange was higher at the close of trading on Monday June 22, topping the complex with a 1.8% uptick despite thin trading volumes, while zinc's forward curve loosened over the afternoon.Copper's outright price on the LME closed at $5,880.50 per tonne on Monday afternoon, climbing from an intraday low of $5,807 per tonne, but failed to breach nea...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday June 22 that are worth another look.The dramatic consequences of the Covid-19-related lockdowns across Europe, and the corresponding shutdowns of industrial activities, have resulted in an enormous disruption to the supply chains across all sectors of the steel industry.Chilean state-run copper producer Codelco has decided to halt a...Read More
The recent decline in European ferro-silicon spot prices, which had been weakening in line with demand due to a slump in steel production over the course of several weeks, has paused; but the stabilization might be brief due to the approaching seasonal slowdown in July and August and an increase in lower-priced export offers into the EU.Thus, the bias in the market on prices is pointing down for t...Read More
The three-month price of copper on the London Metal Exchange was higher at the close of trading on Monday June 22, topping the complex with a 1.8% uptick despite thin trading volumes, while zinc's forward curve loosened over the afternoon.Copper's outright price on the LME closed at $5,880.50 per tonne on Monday afternoon, climbing from an intraday low of $5,807 per tonne, but failed to breach nea...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices fell on Monday June 22 after an increase in cargo arrivals at Chinese ports last week, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $101.75 per tonne, down $0.67 per tonne. 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $104.19 per tonne, down $1.20 per tonne. 58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $90.77 per tonne, down $...Read More
Fastmarkets' seaborne premium hard coking coal indices diverged on Monday June 22, with the fob Australia premium rising while other prices mostly edged down and market participants decided to take a wait-and-see approach.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $111.78 per tonne, up $2.58 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $117.36 per tonne, down $0.35 per t...Read More
The export market for flat steel products from the Commonwealth of Independent States was firm during the week ended Monday June 22 because of demand in Turkey and despite high prices for raw materials.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel hot-rolled coil, export, fob Black Sea, CIS, was $405-415 per tonne on Monday, widening upward from $405-410 per tonne the week before.A sale of Russia...Read More
Trading activity had slowed down by the end of last week in the CIS export market for steel slab, with mills closing their sales for August shipment and now evaluating the situation, Fastmarkets heard on Monday June 22.A sale of Ukraine-origin slab was heard to Turkey in mid-June at $385 per tonne cfr, equivalent to $370-375 per tonne fob Black Sea.And a Russian supplier sold a large cargo of slab...Read More
The aluminium extrusion billet premium reached an all-time low in Brazil while demand remained timid due to the Covid-19-related economic slowdown in the country and sellers focused on securing bargain deals for their customers, sources said on Friday June 19.Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium 6063 & 6060 extrusion billet premium, cif Brazilian main ports at $230-260 per tonne on June 19, down fro...Read More
Chilean state-run copper producer Codelco has decided to halt all of its construction projects in the north of the country, including the underground phase of Chuquicamata, while the Covid-19 pandemic spreads across the region, the company said on Saturday June 20.The current operations of the open pit at Chuquicamata will be maintained, however, with workers from the city of Calama, 20km to the s...Read More
The three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange was higher during morning trading on Monday June 22, while a steady rise in Covid-19 cases over the weekend prompted a slight downturn across the rest of the complex.Copper's outright price on the LME was the standout performer over the morning, recently trading at $5,866 per tonne, improving from Friday's closing price of $5,849.50 per ton...Read More
Lead stocks in Shanghai Futures Exchange-registered warehouses rose by the highest percentage among the base metals, gaining 16.6% or 3,279 tonnes to 22,995 tonnes in the week to Friday June 19. The largest inflows were recorded at warehouses run by Zhongchu Wuxi in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Tianchuan in Zhejiang, with rises of 1,232 tonnes and 1,632 tonnes respectively from 2,749 tonnes and 8,658 tonn...Read More